Hairpin



April 21, 1931- H. G. BLANCHARD 1,802,133

HAIRPIN Filed Dec. 22, 1950 J) \"WWII"lI-lIll"llllll-lllllllllli-llllllll-ll- I j Patented Apr. 21, 1931 ,soala FATE QFFEC Y G. BLANOEABD, OI BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB. T0 SMITH & SONS COB- POBATION, OE BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK Application filed December, 1930. Serial No. 508,885.

This invention relates to improvements in hairpins of the kind which retainthemseIVes in the hair by a spring or clasping action.

The objects of this invention are to provide a hairpin of this kind of im roved structure, which results in a secure ho ding of the hair in place, and which offers-greater resistance to the dislod ing or fallin out of the m, also to provide a hairpin 0 this kind, which is so constructed that it will hold itself and the hair in place with a smaller amount of spring pressure than has heretofore been necessar also to improve the construction of hairpins of this type in other respects hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a hairpin embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof, showing the hairpin in place in the hair; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

The hairpin shown in the accompanying drawings and which illustrates one embodiment of my invention, is made of resilient material and includes two legs A and B joined by an inte ral bent portion or loop C. The particular airpin shown is made of a material of substantially rectangular cross section, but it will be understood that the material of the hairpin may be of any other cross section. The hairpin is so formed that the ortions of the legs A and B adjacent to the oop C are spaced apart for a considerable distance beyond the loop C and converge toward each other from the loop. The leg A is provided with a series of corrugations D, and the other leg B has another series of corru ations E, which are shallower or of lesser helght than the corrugations D of the opposing leg, but of substantially the same pitch and the two sets of corrugations are so arranged that one set enters into the corrugations of the other set. In the construction shown, the corrugations E extend into or register or interfit with the corrugations D, but do not fill these spaces, leaving a series of tapering spaces 5 between the oppositely arrangpd corrugations of the two legs. The leg is also provided with another corrugation or bent portion F which is of considerably greater pitch than the corrugations E, that shown being approximately twice the pitch of the other corrugations, and which consequently forms with the corrugations D located nearest to the loop 0 an enlarged space 6. The conver ing portions of the hairpin from the loop to the corrugated portions of the hairpin are ap roximately straight, as indicated at G and and thus form a space 7 of considerable size in which the major portion of the hair clasped by the hairpin is confined, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. The free ends of the legs of the hairpin may be spaced apart to facilitate the separating of the legs.

In the hairpin shown, the legs may Contact at one or more points of the corrugations, the hairpin shown contacting at only one point near the outer ends of the legs.

When a pin of this type is placed into the hair, the legs of the hairpin are s read apart, and the hair in is then inserted into the hair in the direction of the length of the le s, so that in most cases a greater amount 0 hair finds its way into the space 7 near the looped portion C of the hairpin, and by forming the airpln as described, the portion 7 provides amp e space to accommodate this amount of hair, so that the hair in the portion 7 will not tend to prevent the legs of the hairpin from contacting when the force used for separatin the egs is released. This prevents the air which enters near the loop C from holding the legs of the hairpin apart, and thus interfering with the gripping of the hairpin.

By providing both of the legs of the hairpin with corrugations, the hairpin ofiers materially eater resistance to removal from the hair t an in cases where one or both legs are straight. By providing the two legs of the hairpin with corrugations of substantially similar pitch but of difierent height, the spaces 5 between the corru ations can accommodate a certain amount 0 hair without havin this hair subjected to such pressure as might tend to abrade or damage the hair. The use of corru ations of the kind described on both legs of t e hairpin consequentl results in a more secure holding of the hairpin in place without damage to the hair, and

' consequently, as a result of this construction, less tension is necessa to retain a hairpin in the hair and to hol the hair as desired. Furthermore, by producing this gripping 5 effect with less sprin tension on the hair, the hairpin can, in t efirst place, be more readily secured 111 the hair, and in the second place less pressure is a plied to any individual hair or hairs whic may be pinched in the engagin portions of the two legs. This pinching of air between two. normally contacting portions of the hairpin has been found to have a damaging action on the hair thus pinched, and in many cases causes a breaking of the hair.

By means of the elongated corru ation F, and the opposite corrugation D of t e leg A, a space 6 is formed which is ca able of confimng a considerable strand of air, and the angle between the portions of the two legs defining the end of this space nearest to the open end of the hairpin is such as to offer greater resistance to displacement of the hair within the space 6 than is ofi'ered b the angles between other portions of the e s of the hairpin. In other words to dislo go the strand of hair within the space 6 is equivalent to prying a art the legs of the hairpin by means of a we ge of a fairly wide angle, and this, of course, requires more force than to pry the lo a art by means of a more acute angle wedge. Furthermore the portions of the legs of the hairpin definin the space 6 are located nearer to the loop and, therefore, more force is required to pry the legs apart at this portion of hairpin than at portions nearer to the free ends of the hairpin. Consequently, this portion of the hairpin pla s an important part in the secure holding of t e hair in place and in retaining the hairpin against falling out or becoming dislodged rom the hair, and in conjunction with the registering corrugations described, causes the in to ofi'er greater resistance to accidental is lacement in the hair. 7

he ace 6 also is useful in the manufacture of airpins of this kind in that it provides an enlar ed space which facilitates the insertion o a spreading member of device between the legs of, the hairpin for s reading apart the egs of the pin during t e ap 1 'ng of a finish or coating to the hairin. en finishing hairpins the inside aces of the legs must be finished or coated, as well as the outer surfaces, and the legs of the hair in must be spread far enough apart so that the coating composition will not tend to form a film bridging the space between. the two legs. Furthermore, small portions of the inner surfaces of the legs which contact with the spreading member will not be as uniformly coated as other portions and these ununiformly coated portions are, therefore, apt to be rough. When these rough surfaces 55 are formed at opposite sides of the enlarged space 6, no harm will be done to any hair which contacts with them, since during the insertion of the hairpin lengthwise into the hair, the hair is not abraded or rubbed against the inner surfaces of the parts of the legs defining the space 6. In hairpins having,

these rough surfaces on the normally contacting parts of the legs of the hairpin, damage is very apt to result to an hair squeezed between these rough parts 0 a hairpin.

The hair pin described has the advanta e of offering the maximum resistance to displacement in the hair and can, consequently,

e made of lighter material and of less spring tension than other hairpins heretofore made. This results in the further advantages of making the hairpin less conspicuous in the hair, easier to insert in and remove from the hair, and less injurious to the hair by exerting less pressure on the hair.

he legs of the hair in, in addition to the corrugations describe may be curved to conform somewhat to the curvature of the head of the wearer, or the le may be without such curvature, if desired? I claim as my invention:

1. A hairpin having its legs provided with corrugations, the corrugations of the two legs being of the same pitch but of different heights.

2. A hairpin having its legs'provided with corrugations, the corrugations of the two legs being of the same pitch but of difi'erent heights, and the corru ations of one leg being in registration wit the corrugations of the other leg. I

3. A hair in, includirig a pair of legs connected by a oop, each 0 sai legs being provided with corrugations extendm from the free ends of the e s toward sai loop and terminating at a stance from said loop the corrugations of the two legs being 0 different heights so that one corrugation will extend only partially into another corrugation.

4. A hairpin, including a pair of legs connected by a loop, the portions of the pin adjacent to the loop being spaced apart to accommodate hair without a plying pressure thereto, the portions of sai legs ad acent to their free ends being provided with corrugations of approximately the same pitch but of different eights.

5. A hairpin, including a pair of legs connected by a loop, the portions of said legs near the free ends thereof being provided with corrugations, the corrugations of one leg interfittin with those of the other leg one of said e s having a corrugation of greater pitch t an the other corrugations and cooperating with a corru ation of the other leg to provide a relative y large open space between the legs of the hairpin.

6. A hair in, including a pair of legs connected by a oop, the portions of the legs adjacent to the loop being substantially straight and converging from said loop, one of said legs being alrovided with a series of corrugations, an e other leglhaving a corrugation of greater pitch than t e corrugations of said first mentioned leg to form between said legs an enlar ed space for the reception of a strand 0 hair.

7. A hairpin, including a pair of legs connected by a loop, the portions of the legs adjacent to the loop being substantially strai ht and converging from said loop, one of said legs bein tprovided with a series of corrugations, an 7 e other leg having a coru rugatlon of greater pitch than the 00m tions of said first mentioned leg to form tween said legs an enlarged space for the reception of a strand of hair, said other leg beyond said corrugation of greater pitch be- 20 ing provided with a series 0 corrugations of approximately the same pitch as said corrugations of said first mentioned leg and entering into said corrugations.

8. A hairpin having a pair of legs connected by a loop, sai legs being provided with corru ations extending from a distance from said 00p to the free ends of said le the corrugations of one leg extending o y part1 into the corrugations of the other leg, go said mentioned eg also having a corrufition nearer to said looped portion than 0 other corrugations of sa1d first mentioned leg and of greater pitch than said other corrugations and forming with the oppositely 36 arranged corru tions of said other leg an enlarged space or the race tion of hair.

HARRY G. B CHARD. 

